Vinh’s Fruit Stand
This is Vinh. She lives on our street in Mililani. I’m glad I went over to meet her.
Author: Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
Beyond the Pandemic
I was asked to participate in the fifth and final episode of a series of town halls marking the anniversary of the pandemic, hosted by Hawaii News Now. The panel included Avi Mannis, Senior VP of Marketing, Hawaiian Airlines, Tiffany Huynh, Director Of External Affairs, Elemental Excelerator, Daniel Anthony, Executive...
Unemployment Upgrade
The Department of Labor & Industrial Relations recently announced a $10 million contract to upgrade the mainframe-based system to a cloud-based one, hiring an 11-month old Idaho company named Solid State Ops.
First Impressions: Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Two things I looked forward to: the new design, and as always, the better camera. Though I’ve only had it a few hours, it delivers on both.
Who is Every1ne Hawaii?
Ever since Every1ne Hawaii burst onto the local scene in April, aligned with no less than the Honolulu mayor’s office, many people have wondered who was behind this powerful but seemingly benevolent organization. It was the first question I asked that very day of my friends in media and the...
Facial recognition tech, new smartphones from Samsung, Motorola
Today on KITV’s “Good Morning Hawaii,” anchor Maleko McDonnell and I discuss the latest tech headlines, including the controversial facial recognition startup Clearview AI, and new smartphones from Samsung (including the Galaxy S20 flagship and Galaxy Z Flip folding phone) and Motorola’s Razr reboot and mid-priced Moto G Power.
Review: “1917” (2019)
A singular cinematic experience that was so intense, so visceral, so relentless, I was wrung out and speechless when the credits rolled.
Cats, cars, computers showcased at CES
Highlights from CES 2020 in Las Vegas, including the Sony Vision-S concept electric car, the Razer Kishi mobile gaming controller, and the Lenovo X1 Fold folding-screen computer.
Data breaches and location privacy hacks for Christmas
My latest Techspotting segment on KITV’s Good Morning Hawaii, where Maleko McDonnell and I discuss the recent Ring data breach and the bombshell New York Times report on how easy it is to track people, even with “anonymized” data.
Airpods go pro, Google gets Fitbit, and the streaming wars heat up
My latest Techspotting segment on KITV’s Good Morning Hawaii, where Maleko McDonnell and I discuss the surprise launch of Apple’s new AirPods Pro with Active Noise Canceling (ANC), the acquisition of Fitbit by Google to revitalize competition in the wearables space, and the pending launches of Apple TV+ and Disney+.
Google’s flagship smartphone, Fortnite’s second chapter, and the HACC is on
Google’s latest hardware headliner is the Pixel 4 smartphone. Meanwhile, Fortnite closes version one with a bang, and starts chapter two with a whole new map. Finally, the HACC is underway, with pitches and judging set for November 16 at Aloha Tower.
New hardware from Amazon, maps from Facebook, and games from Apple
Recapping Amazon’s hardware announcements (including Echo Frames and Echo Smart Ring), Facebook’s augmented reality news (Oculus Live Maps), and the launch of Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass, both for $5 a month.
Apple’s fall keynote brings iPhone, Apple Watch upgrades
My latest Techspotting segment for KITV, where Maleko McDonnell and I discuss Apple’s fall keynote, which is like Christmas morning for Apple fans. This year Apple announced a reduced price for the iPhone, and better cameras and battery life for the iPhone Pro. Also, the Apple Watch Series 5, and aggressively priced services like Apple Arcade and Apple TV+.
With more flagship device upgrades, have we reached ‘peak smartphone’?
My latest Techspotting segment for KITV, where Lindsey Fukano and I discuss the latest flagship smartphone releases from Samsung and Apple. How much better can they get? Will the new tariffs on Chinese goods affect pricing? And how does Disney’s upcoming streaming platform compare with giants Netflix and Hulu?
Online extremists remain online despite real-world consequences
My latest Techspotting segment for KITV where Maleko McDonnell and I discuss banning hate sites in the wake of devastating mass shootings in the United States.
Facebook launches Libra, a virtual Potter world, and China’s tech showcase
My latest Techspotting segment for KITV, where Maleko McDonnell and I discuss Facebook’s entry into the cryptocurrency space, Libra. Niantic launches Wizards Unite, a Harry Potter game with augmented reality features similar to Pokemon Go. And Mobile World Congress kicks off this week, showcasing 5G technology.
Apple previews new software, hardware at annual conference
My latest Techspotting segment for KITV on the latest Apple announcements, including the new Mac Pro, iOS 13 with Dark Mode, and MacOS Catalina.
Southwest Airlines revoked bonus points offered to Hawaii residents. Here’s how to get them back.
There are far more people who were willing to believe Southwest Airlines acted in bad faith than there were people who believed they could get free points in the first place.
Google conference showcases new hardware, software
My latest Techspotting segment for KITV where Maleko McDonnell and I discuss the Google I/O developers conference. Ostensibly focused on software, the Mountain View tech giant also announced new hardware at its annual keynote, including the Pixel 3A and Pixel 3A XL and the Nest Hub Max. They also previewed Android Q, with dark mode and live video captioning.
Where is Midtown Ala Moana? [Updated]
UPDATE [April 24, 2019]: Historically this area was known as Kalia. Sounds like a perfectly good name to me. See the end of this post for details. Midtown Ala Moana is “considered a haven for foodies,” a draw for “fashionistas,” and home to The Republik nightclub, Like Like Drive Inn,...
